Lviv, Ukraine- 07 August 2022: Paramedic training center, exhibition of modern first aid equipment

Trama Kits

If you have the best possible trauma kit in the world, it does you zero good if you don’t have it with you.

I believe that I have as many trauma kits as any other person. Every load bearing vest has a trauma kit. The range bag has a trauma kit, my get-out-of-Doge-expeditiously (GOODE) bag has trauma kits.

My car has multiple kits in it.

What I was missing was something that I had on me every time I went out. I decided to buy an ankle trauma kit to try.

I have been 100% consistent since getting it; if I have a firearm on me, then I have the kit on me.

First things first, it is comfortable. I was expecting it to cause issues or to print in horrible ways. It doesn’t print, and it is comfortable. When wrapped around my sock, it is noticeable for about 3 minutes, then I forget it is there.

What I purchased I expected to be good enough. I’ve decided it isn’t. What it comes with is a SOFT-T tourniquet, a 4″ combat bandage, and a pair of nitrile gloves.

What is it missing?

A mini-Sharpie, mini-bandage shears, and z-fold gauze for wound packing. That’s it. If really pressed, a pair of mini-hyfin chest patches, for sucking chest wounds.

I could upgrade my ankle kit with another pouch, but I’ve not found one that I like. I want to have a QuickClot Z-Fold bandage, and that is a slightly larger package than simple gauze.

If you don’t have an ankle kit, look into it. I think you will be surprised at what you can get that will meet your needs and still be extremely comfortable.

Be safe out there. Keep your head on a swivel. Stay out of stupid places at stupid times. Stay away from stupid people.

The Intermittent Missive – Intermittent Order

January 9:

Closing the Deep State Gap: A Proposed Law to Restore Constitutional Order
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/01/closing_the_deep_state_gap_a_proposed_law_to_restore_constitutional_order.html
We all know that the culprits behind the Russia Russia hoax, behind the lawfare, and other seditious sabotage, have not been brought to justice…Is the problem the law itself?

Death of Privacy… and What Comes Next
https://www.lewrockwell.com/2026/01/doug-casey/death-of-privacy-and-what-comes-next/
In practically every country, the allowable limit for cash withdrawals and transactions continues to be lowered.
Why are governments so intent on phasing out cash? What is really behind this coordinated effort?

The Insurrection Act Could Be Invoked Tomorrow
https://gellerreport.com/2026/01/the-insurrection-act-could-be-invoked-tomorrow.html/
Minnesota is calling for open revolt with corrupt Governor Tim Walz threatening to use the Minnesota Guard against federal officers.
Fort Sumter wasn’t just the first battle of the Civil War—it was the moment a state decided federal authority no longer applied, and backed that claim with force.
video – 00:00:11 – https://twitter.com/i/status/2009020845239533590
video – 00:00:42 – https://twitter.com/i/status/2009131415150244344
video – 00:00:54 – https://twitter.com/i/status/2009288975240884425
vide0 – 00:02:58 – https://twitter.com/i/status/2009275922705154426

GOVERNOR WALZ URGES HIS COMMUNIST SUPPORTERS TO TAKE TO THE STREETS
video – 00:02:49 – https://x.com/Breaking911/status/2009018778001223721

Tim Walz calls for a “day of unity” tomorrow following the shooting of Renee Good.
video – 00:01:47 – https://x.com/Breaking911/status/2009459153270657124

Minneapolis McDonald’s Removes Anti-ICE Sign After Backlash, Following Hilton Incident
https://istandforfreedom.com/mcdonalds-anti-ice-backlash/
McDonald’s corporate moved quickly once the story caught fire, confirming the sign was “posted without approval” and had been removed. The franchise owner would be having “a conversation” with staff about appropriate signage.

Minnesota police who refused to work with ICE now mad feds won’t work with them
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/01/08/minnesota-police-who-refused-to-work-with-ice-now-mad-feds-wont-work-with-them-1614890/
…angry responses from Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Democratic Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) said Thursday that the U.S. attorney’s office blocked the agency from participating in the investigation, cutting state investigators off from evidence, case files and interviews they said were necessary to conduct a full and independent review,

Border Agents Fire Defensively After Car-Ramming Attempt, Democrats Close Ranks Around Gangbangers
https://gellerreport.com/2026/01/border-agents-attacked-border-agents-fire-defensively-after-car-ramming-attempt-democrats-close-ranks-around-gangbangers.html/

Bodycam Shows Aggressive Renee Good Made Eye Contact with ICE Agent Before Aiming Her Car at Him
https://www.westernjournal.com/breaking-bodycam-shows-aggressive-renee-good-made-eye-contact-ice-agent-aiming-car/
video – 00:00:47 – https://twitter.com/i/status/2009679932289626385

‘Innocent mom’ was a trained anti-ICE ‘warrior’
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/01/09/innocent-mom-was-a-trained-anti-ice-warrior-report-1614954/
V
Renee Nicole Good was Minneapolis ‘ICE Watch’ ‘warrior’ who trained to resist feds before shooting
https://nypost.com/2026/01/08/us-news/renee-nicole-good-was-minneapolis-ice-watch-warrior-who-trained-to-resist-feds-before-shooting/
V
There’s WAY MORE to ‘MN Mom’ Renee Good That Lefties Do NOT Want You to Know (So You KNOW We’re Sharing)
https://twitchy.com/samj/2026/01/09/more-to-renee-good-and-her-wife-than-people-know-paul-sperry-n2423736
V
Julie Kelly Exposes Renee Good’s Wife, Her Connections to MN ICE Watch Movement, and Much MORE
https://twitchy.com/samj/2026/01/09/renee-goods-wife-n2423739

Spontaneous Riots: Not Exactly
https://susandaniels.substack.com/p/spontaneous-riots-not-exactly-170

Organic? LOL-RIGHT: DAMNING Thread Takes Group Behind Minnesota ICE Agitators (and Who FUNDS Them) APART
https://twitchy.com/samj/2026/01/09/mitchell-williamson-thread-the-orgs-funding-the-mn-protests-n2423723
Truth is, these groups of agitators and protesters are hardly organic and, in fact, are very well-funded and trained.

Anti-ICE Protesters Being Coached Before Press Conference Say the Quiet Part Out Loud
https://twitchy.com/dougp/2026/01/09/anti-ice-protesters-being-prepped-for-press-conference-say-the-quiet-part-out-loud-n2423733
video – 00:00:07 – https://twitter.com/i/status/2009509402261508191
video – 00:02:14 – https://twitter.com/i/status/2009344280025026806

Democratic Rep. Angie Craig could be seen laying into Republican Whip Tom Emmer, a fellow Minnesotan, on the House floor on Wednesday in the wake of the shooting of a Minneapolis woman who could be seen driving her car into an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent.
video – 00:00:20 – https://twitter.com/i/status/2008990192368275931

Bessent delivers bad news to Somalis on welfare: No more wire transfers to the homeland
https://www.theblaze.com/news/bessent-delivers-bad-news-to-somalis-on-the-dole-no-more-wire-transfers-to-the-homeland
Bessent stressed that if asylum seekers have enough money to send home, they certainly don’t need benefits.

Mamdani’s Clown Show Offers Its Opening Act
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/mamdanis-clown-show-offers-its-opening-act
V
NYC protesters chant, ‘Kristi Noem will hang… Save a life, kill an ICE’
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/01/09/nyc-protesters-chant-kristi-noem-will-hang-save-a-life-kill-an-ice-1614951/

BLOOD IN THE STREETS: Iranian Regime Guns Down Protesters as Uprising Explodes, Regime Cuts Internet, Phones, Total Blackout
https://gellerreport.com/2026/01/bloodbath-iran.html/

Why we carry. (Mantras don’t work)
https://miguelgg.substack.com/p/why-we-carry-mantras-dont-work
When you have a dedicated enemy, mantras do not work (I am in danger!), dashcams do not work, phones do not work, and most certainly, police minutes away do not work. About the only thing they are good for is to gather evidence for the police of your death or grave injury, which is something altogether avoidable with the use of ballistic behavioral modifiers, AKA a gun.
Embedded video – 00:02:26
video – 00:02:39 – https://youtu.be/BS9918S5pHw

Farmland Shock: Georgia Grower Drops 3,000 Acres, Warns Of Unplanted Ground in 2026
https://www.zerohedge.com/food/farmland-shock-georgia-grower-drops-3000-acres-warns-unplanted-ground-2026

Fani Willis’ failed lawfare against Trump might cost her a fortune
https://www.theblaze.com/news/fani-willis-failed-lawfare-against-trump-might-cost-her-a-fortune
In addition to having to fight misconduct allegations, Willis now faces the possibility of having to shell out millions to the president in attorney fees and costs, thanks to legislation ratified in May by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp.

24 Memes About Bleeding Minnesota
https://wilderwealthywise.com/24-memes-about-bleeding-minnesota/

Is a Wealth Tax Coming to California?
https://patriotpost.us/articles/124092-is-a-wealth-tax-coming-to-california-2026-01-09
The failure of politicians to keep the books in order has left the Golden State desperate to make up for massive revenue losses.
Billionaires begin to exit California: California Democrats’ plan to impose a wealth tax on billionaires is creating a predictable result: rather than staying and having their wealth looted by the state government, at least six billionaire residents are planning to move out. Topping the growing list of billionaires fleeing the Golden State are Google co-founder Larry Page and PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel. Six billionaires left before New Year’s Day to avoid a potential one-time 5% tax on all their assets exceeding $1 billion. Democrat lawmakers in the state have pushed this wealth tax, which residents will vote on in November. Silicon Valley investment firm co-founder Divesh Makan has been helping billionaires leave the state, and he estimates that as many as 20 additional billionaire families will move out. Given that California has roughly 200 billionaires, that’s no small number.
V
Wealth tax threat prompts at least six billionaires to cut ties with California, as about 20 more mull exit
https://nypost.com/2026/01/08/business/wealth-tax-threat-prompts-at-least-six-billionaires-to-cut-ties-with-california-with-about-20-more-mulling-exit-report/
Larry Page, the Google co-founder and one of the world’s richest men, has relocated out of California.
V
Larry Page, the Google co-founder, Divesh Makan, co-founder of Silicon Valley investment firm ICONIQ Capital, David Sacks, a billionaire venture capitalist and co-founder of Craft Ventures, another 15 to 20 billionaire families to depart if the tax is approved by voters — a significant portion of California’s roughly 200 billionaires. Tech investor Chamath Palihapitiya has publicly said he is giving “serious consideration” to moving to Texas, warning that the tax could drive entrepreneurs and capital out of California.

Weekend Knowledge Dump- January 9, 2026
https://www.activeresponsetraining.net/weekend-knowledge-dump-january-9-2026

January 10:

(The bought and paid for cannon fodder that is the useful idiots on the left have struck another match to the fuse of an (un)civil war. Now we have to wait and see if it ignites a civil war, or it fizzles out like the 2020 summer of the “Mostly Peaceful George Floyd Riots.” – check your preps, L&L, Carry ALL the time, even at home, because bad things happen suddenly, and the bad guys are NOT going to wait while you go and get your gun – and oh yes, Get Out of the Cities. – NOW.  A year too soon is better than a day too late” – jlr)

Rhetoric to Violence: Anti-ICE Protests Spread
https://www.threatjournal.com/archive/tj01102026.html
Three Key Factors Fueling the Violence – 1. More Agents, More Encounters, 2. A Permissive Culture of “Resistance”, 3. Far-Left Rhetoric Demonizing Officers
V
57 Times Sick, Unhinged Democrats Declared War on Law Enforcement
https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2026/01/57-times-sick-unhinged-democrats-declared-war-on-law-enforcement/
On Friday, the White House released a blistering article compiling 57 specific quotes from prominent Democrats—including governors and members of Congress—who have labeled ICE officers as terrorists, Nazis, fascists, or thugs, called for ICE’s abolition, or excused resistance and violence against them.

Anti-ICE Mob Storms Hotels in Minneapolis Looking for ICE, Even Chases and Attacks Police
https://redstate.com/nick-arama/2026/01/10/protesters-storm-hotels-in-minneapolis-looking-for-ice-n2197974
Now comes the next part — the part they seem to have been agitating for: the agitators in the streets over the “murder.” It doesn’t matter that the facts don’t support the lie. The Democrats don’t care about reality. The radical mob hit Minneapolis hotels on Friday night, looking for ICE agents. They stormed The Depot Hotel. You can see someone carrying a flag for the Communist Party of the USA.
video – 00:00:57 – https://twitter.com/i/status/2009822830679212063
video – 00:00:47 – https://twitter.com/i/status/2009824920407265372
video – 00:00:11 – https://x.com/NickAtNews/status/2009826774859894985
video – 00:02:09 – https://twitter.com/i/status/2009828791758057610
****pin pic – https://x.com/breccastoll/status/2009800741410799883
V
Anti-ICE Agitators Storm Hotels and Overwhelm Police
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/josephchalfant/2026/01/09/anti-ice-riots-break-out-in-minneapolis-n2669258

‘Just a matter of time’: Threats to KILL federal agents ramp up amid fiery Dem rhetoric
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/01/10/just-a-matter-of-time-threats-to-kill-federal-agents-ramp-up-amid-fiery-dem-rhetoric-1615161/
Numerous videos containing threats against federal law enforcement suggested “It’s just a matter of time” before someone is killed by an egged-on leftist…
“We have to show up with guns. We have to. There’s no other way around it. I don’t care if I don’t have a Minnesota carry permit. I’m unarmed right now, but this is the last time I show up and face these guys without a weapon,”
video – 00:01:42 – https://twitter.com/i/status/2009693707948462535
video – 00:01:01 – https://twitter.com/i/status/2009462445702783336
video – 00:00:27 – https://twitter.com/i/status/2009462445702783336

Minneapolis ICE Shooting Shows Left Wing’s Protest Industrial Complex Wants Another ‘George Floyd’-Type Riot
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/minneapolis-ice-shooting-shows-left-wings-protest-industrial-complex-wants-another-george
…the Democratic Party is desperately seeking another George Floyd-style protest or riot to shift public opinion about Trump’s expanded ICE deportation operations nationwide, which are deporting criminal illegal aliens out of the country. If we understand that mass migration has been used by the party in an attempt to build a one-party-rule (California-style) nation, then we can see why these on-the-ground pressure campaigns against ICE even exist in the first place.

Protests Escalate Nationwide
https://www.mobilize.us/?from_map=true&lat=40.78156943681316&lon=-73.91464233398533&tag_ids=29132&zoom=9.574019267638283
On Friday evening, AlertsUSA notified subscribers of nationwide anti-ICE protests planned for this weekend, advertised in hundreds of cities. Is this the start of another “Winter of Love?”
V
(check out this map – use the +/- in the upper right corner – now, tell me this is all not coordinated – jlr)
https://www.mobilize.us/map/?lat=40.78156943681316&lon=-73.91464233398533&tag_ids=29132&zoom=9.574019267638283

The Winter of Love
https://vineofliberty.com/2026/01/10/the-winter-of-love/
It is my belief that the only reason we are not seeing massive riots already is the temperature is too low. It is too cold for a good riot. If the weather changes for the better, it is likely we will see riots. If it doesn’t, it would not surprise me even a little that the media keeps things at a low simmer until it is warm enough for the riots to happen. DefCon 3 right now, people. As it warms up, DefCon 2. Keep strapped, keep your head on a swivel, stay away from stupid places, stupid people. Nothing good happens after midnight.

FAFO x2…
https://oldnfo.substack.com/p/fafo-x2
The question is, WHO benefits from all this crap? WHO is paying these people to protest? WHERE is the money coming from?
Peter at BRM, HERE has questions too.
V
The organizers behind the anti-ICE protests
https://bayourenaissanceman.blogspot.com/2026/01/the-organizers-behind-anti-ice-protests.html
V
Shades of 2020… are we seeing George Floyd redux on the left?
https://bayourenaissanceman.blogspot.com/2026/01/shades-of-2020-are-we-seeing-george.html

Choose Stupid, Win Stupid Prizes….Repeatedly.
https://miguelgg.substack.com/p/choose-stupid-win-stupid-prizes
…I do question the idea of placing fat chicks in front of vehicles bigger than a Mini Cooper to block them. Physics do not give a damn about your fervor to the cause, and you ain’t made out of rubber.

Renee Good’s Lesbian Partner Breaks Silence, Says ICE Harassment, Stalking Was to ‘Support Our Neighbors’
https://www.westernjournal.com/renee-goods-lesbian-partner-breaks-silence-says-ice-harassment-stalking-support-neighbors/
(Liberals do not learn from past experiences/history. They MUST, individually, FA to FO for themselves – jlr)

Courting death to own the Nazis
https://www.eugyppius.com/p/courting-death-to-own-the-nazis
None of these ICE-watching women appear to have the slightest idea of the gravity of their actions. Objectively speaking, they are each of them playing a dangerous game of chicken. Their ever-present aim is to edge beyond being a mere nuisance and cause meaningful disruptions, while hoping always to stop short of becoming a serious, actionable threat…A shooting like this was inevitable given the protest tactics at hand, and more shootings will follow. Each one will be decried by the activist left, and should a protestor ever kill an ICE agent instead, the protesters won’t miss a beat in celebrating his death.

Police said there had been no calls at the home prior to the shocking incident.
https://www.eugyppius.com/p/courting-death-to-own-the-nazis

America vs. F**K YOU!
https://townhall.com/columnists/kevinmccullough/2026/01/10/america-vs-fk-you-n2669259
It bothers me to my core that lawmakers, elected leaders, and those who serve the public rushed to condemn law enforcement officers—without proof—the tragic death of Renee Nicole Good…What is new is the language. The profanity. The contempt. The open hostility. We are now watching governors, members of Congress, mayors, and even law-enforcement leaders openly tell a lawful federal agency to “eff off.”

And suddenly the Left values the Second Amendment.
https://miguelgg.substack.com/p/and-suddenly-the-left-values-the
Talking about taking action against ICE Agents. “It is time for the American people to organize and to utilize their Second Amendment right to protect themselves from what is clearly becoming an unaccountable and lawless agency that’s killing Americans.”
embedded video – 00:01:14

We are all waiting for the Fort Sumter CW2 ignition event. We are not one country. Please watch this and understand. MOVE OUT OF BLUE HIVES NOW.
This is not parody… This is the actual Philadelphia County Sheriff. Is it possible to coexist with someone like this?
video – 00:02:51 – https://x.com/i/status/2009476631799451739
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Police shoot New Jersey man who allegedly charged them with machete — then find gruesome scene inside his home
https://www.theblaze.com/news/nj-machete-deaths-mother-grandparents
Police said there had been no calls at the home prior to the shocking incident.

Major Trump Advisor Declares Which Major Red State City Will Replace NYC as Financial Capitol Thanks to Mamdani
https://www.westernjournal.com/major-trump-advisor-declares-major-red-state-city-will-replace-nyc-financial-capitol-thanks-mamdani/
“As a response to socialism, Miami will replace NYC as the finance capital and Austin will replace SF as the tech capital,”
(Part/most of wal Street has moved to DFW in Texas – jlr)

Did Marjorie Taylor Greene Tip Off Leftists About Where Trump Was Eating Dinner Last Fall?
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2026/01/10/did-marjorie-taylor-greene-tip-off-leftists-about-where-trump-was-eating-dinner-last-fall-n2669172
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) has left the building. She quit, though the Georgia Republican and former Trump stalwart waited until her congressional pension vested.

Israeli Military Intelligence Gave a Shocking Update on the Iran Protests
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2026/01/10/if-iran-is-falling-what-an-image-this-is-n2669260
What is happening in Iran? Days of popular unrest, mainly over economic woes, have reached a fever pitch. The capital of Tehran has reportedly been lost to the protesters. Mayhem and chaos are spreading. More cities are breaking free of the grip of Ayatollah Khamenei. Police stations are being attacked, Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps offices are being burned, and police commanders are reportedly being picked off as well.

Iranians Burn The Tomb of Ayatollah Khomeini
https://gellerreport.com/2026/01/iranians-burn-the-tomb-of-ayatollah-khomeini.html/
“Don’t let your children go out tonight. If they do, don’t complain if they are shot.”
video – 00:00:35 – https://twitter.com/i/status/2009638158636609575

SCOTUS Considers Case About Whether Second Amendment Cross State Lines
https://bearingarms.com/camedwards/2026/01/09/scotus-considers-case-about-whether-second-amendment-cross-state-lines-n1231160
Marquis v. Massachusetts is a challenge to the state’s ridiculous laws regarding non-residents and their ability to legally bear arms once they cross the state line.

Biden judge rules taxpayers must continue funding blue state daycare scams
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/01/10/biden-judge-rules-taxpayers-must-continue-funding-blue-state-daycare-scams-1615147/
U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian sided with five Democrat-run states by issuing a temporary restraining order preventing the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from cutting off $10 billion in grants to childcare welfare programs impacting California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota, and New York…An unelected lower court judge has once again commandeered national policy by moving to block the government from freezing federal childcare funds to a handful of blue states amid rampant systemic fraud in Minnesota.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1639183744059267
Carl Higbie urges “internet trolls” to not follow dox reports, antagonize or show up at the homes of ICE and law enforcement agents — not for the agents’ sake, but for their own safety.

Late January 10 and January 11:

Why is this being ignored??? (by the MSM – jlr)
https://oldnfo.substack.com/p/why-is-this-being-ignored
Iran is now 13 days into ‘protests’ that started over the devaluation of the currency and a water crisis in Tehran among other places. The original protest was NOT students, but shopkeepers…Now, almost two weeks later, it is sweeping the entire country! And more and more civilians/women/students are involved…The Iranian regime triggered an internet “kill switch” in an apparent effort to hide alleged abuses by security forces and as protests against it surged nationwide, a cybersecurity expert has claimed.

The Shattering of the Fear Barrier and the Dawn of a New Persian era
https://gellerreport.com/2026/01/the-shattering-of-the-fear-barrier-and-the-dawn-of-a-new-persian-era.html/

Iranians Torch Mosques in Revolt Against Islamic Rule
https://gellerreport.com/2026/01/iranians-torch-mosques-in-revolt-against-islamic-rule.html/

IRAN ON FIRE: Facing Bullets and Bloodshed, Millions Flood the Streets
https://gellerreport.com/2026/01/iran-on-fire.html/

President Trump: ‘Iran Is Looking For Freedom, US Stands Ready To Help’
https://gellerreport.com/2026/01/president-trump-iran-is-looking-for-freedom-us-stands-ready-to-help.html/

Reports: Regime Slaughters At Least 2,000 Protesters Killed in Iran in 48 hours, Trump Prepares ATTACK
https://gellerreport.com/2026/01/reports-regime-slaughters-at-least-2000-protesters-killed-in-iran-in-48-hours-trump-prepares-attack.html/

DIGITAL LIFELINE: Elon Musk Activates Starlink in Iran as Regime Cuts the Internet
https://gellerreport.com/2026/01/elon-musk-digital-lifeline-starlink-in-iran.html/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Sets the Record Straight on Who Sets Policing Policy in the City
https://redstate.com/jenniferoo/2026/01/10/philadelphia-commissioner-sets-the-record-straight-that-the-sheriff-does-not-set-police-policy-in-philly-n2197983
Philadelphia Sheriff Rochelle Bilal calls ICE agents “fake law enforcement”: “You don’t want this smoke, because we will bring it to you. The criminal in the White House will not be able to keep you from going to jail.”
video – 00:03:21 – https://twitter.com/i/status/2009675218713968706
video – 00:01_13 – https://twitter.com/i/status/2009801849986044347

Tim Walz’s One-Man Civil War
https://gellerreport.com/2026/01/tim-walzs-one-man-civil-war.html/
A second civil war in the United States has seemed to be on the horizon for years, and many have predicted its imminent arrival, but one courageous man, way out ahead of us all, is already fighting it. That man is Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, and he wants you to know that he is standing in the vanguard against the evil forces of Orange Man Bad, who are committing the heinous and unpardonable crime of… enforcing the nation’s immigration laws.
V
Tampon Tim is not exactly alone – (repost – jlr)
57 Times Sick, Unhinged Democrats Declared War on Law Enforcement
https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2026/01/57-times-sick-unhinged-democrats-declared-war-on-law-enforcement/

More Wild Action in MN As People Who Take on Border Patrol Find Out That Isn’t a Good Idea
https://redstate.com/nick-arama/2026/01/09/more-wild-action-in-mn-as-people-try-to-block-ice-and-it-doesnt-turn-out-well-for-them-n2197955
video – 00:00:15 – https://twitter.com/i/status/2009666509690278216

rcd via IM last night – TRUTH
ONLY THE REAL HARD FUKIN TRUTH !!
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1603965604358324

let’s talk about renee good – the facts and the foundations
https://boriquagato.substack.com/p/lets-talk-about-renee-good
I don’t know what it is that makes Minneapolis such an absurd flashpoint over and over, but here we go again…
5f4d8b3c-29a5-4692-bab3-bf4efa6c8d71_1536x1024 - 750x500.jpg

Minneapolis ICE Shooting Shows Left Wing’s Protest Industrial Complex Wants Another ‘George Floyd’-Type Riot
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/minneapolis-ice-shooting-shows-left-wings-protest-industrial-complex-wants-another-george
MSM, the Democratic Party, and left-wing nonprofits are working hard to manufacture another ‘George Floyd’-type protest or riot by omitting key context about the woman shot and killed by an ICE agent. They conveniently left out her social justice “warrior” role in Minneapolis, including her reported involvement with “ICE Watch” and other operations to disrupt ICE raids in the sanctuary city. These details matter because MSM attempted to manufacture an outrage news cycle, while nonprofits create artificial multi-city protests aimed at shifting public opinion on ICE operations nationwide.

Watch: New Footage Shows Three Minutes Before Minneapolis ICE-Involved Shooting
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/watch-new-footage-shows-federal-agents-perspective-minneapolis-ice-involved-shooting
video – 00:03:31 – https://x.com/i/status/2010037103665787019

White Liberal Women Really Are Bat Poop Crazy, and This Proves It
https://pjmedia.com/matt-margolis/2026/01/10/white-liberal-women-really-are-bat-poop-crazy-and-this-proves-it-n4948130
Kevin Downey Jr. wrote about what he calls “affluent white liberal women,” or AWFLs, pegging them as the biggest internal threat to America. Not foreign enemies. Not terror cells. Just well-off women with pronouns in their bios and too much time on their hands. He described them as attention-seeking harpies who push extreme gender ideology, drag their kids to medicalized gender clinics, and parade them at sexualized drag shows labeled as “family-friendly.” These are the same people, he argued, who want to defund the police, defend criminals no matter how violent or foreign, and censor anyone who steps out of line with their diversity-and-inclusion gospel.
V
from 16 April, 2020
The Mental Health Crisis Among Young Liberal Women
https://www.mensvoicesireland.com/articles/the-mental-health-crisis-among-young-liberal-women/
V
Pew Study: White Liberals Disproportionately Suffer From Mental Illness.
https://wibc.com/108211/pew-study-white-liberals-disproportionately-suffer-from-mental-illness/

WHOOPS: Leftists Stage Massive Anti-ICE Protest Outside of the Wrong Hotel
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/josephchalfant/2026/01/10/whoops-leftists-stage-massive-anti-ice-protest-outside-of-the-wrong-hotel-n2669257
As the protests in Minneapolis against Border Patrol and ICE agents conducting operations have continued to escalate, demonstrators just wasted hours making a massive error.

Lib Reporter Faces Subpoena After Doxxing Delta Force Commander Over Maduro Capture
https://www.westernjournal.com/lib-reporter-faces-subpoena-doxxing-delta-force-commander-maduro-capture/
The House Oversight Committee voted on Wednesday to subpoena Rolling Stone contributing editor Seth Harp after he shared a picture and biography of a Delta Force commander that he said played a central role in the recent U.S. military operation in Venezuela.

Trump Says US Will Begin Land Strikes on Cartels in Mexico
https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/trump-says-us-will-begin-strikes-on-cartels-in-mexico-5968491
‘We knocked out … the drugs coming in by water, and we are going to start now hitting land with regard with the cartels,’ the U.S. president said.

Residential Electricity Prices Are Surging Even More
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/residential-electricity-prices-are-surging-even-more
In one year, this will be the most popular chart on this site…between exploding electricity bills and lack of jobs for grads, a new luddite revolution is coming – they will be burning down data centers within a year

AS PREDICTED ON RADIO CONTRA: Russian Shadow Tanker Fleet Weapons Smuggling Group Uncovered
https://www.americanpartisan.org/20…nker-fleet-weapons-smuggling-group-uncovered/
Ukrainian hackers have uncovered a Russian weapons smuggling group, operating in conjunction with Russia’s “shadow tanker” fleet putting arms into the hands of terrorists worldwide. “We can even smuggle nuclear weapons”: how officers of the 291st regiment of the Russian Armed Forces and “Vostok-Akhmat” organized an arms smuggling operation through Crimea.

Schumer Rushes to Make Sure Trump Can Never Pull Off Another Operation Like Maduro’s Capture Ever Again
https://www.westernjournal.com/schumer-rushes-make-sure-trump-can-never-pull-off-another-operation-like-maduros-capture-ever/
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told “This Week” host George Stephanopoulos on Sunday that he would introduce a War Powers Act resolution to prevent further military operations against Venezuela. (Because a Democrat didn’t do it, so it makes the Democrats look weak and Trump look strong – jlr)

‘A giant step back’: Liberals rage against red meat after new food pyramid guidelines release
https://www.theblaze.com/align/food-pyramid-rfk-jr-outrage
‘Beef is responsible for 20 times more greenhouse gas emissions per gram of protein than beans.’…The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine spoke out against the new federal guidelines too. The group reportedly criticized the promotion of meat and dairy products, labeling the foods as “principal drivers of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity.”
(“On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero” – https://www.zerohedge.com/ – jlr)

Vulgus vult decipi, ergo decipiatur. – The crowd wishes to be deceived, so let it be deceived.
https://thelawdogfiles.substack.com/p/vulgus-vult-decipi-ergo-decipiatur
Nothing speaks to the state of modern affairs quite like the current news cycle. On one hand you have a woman LARPing as something called a “protest warrior”1 who got convinced that “good intentions” were just as adequate2 as training and experience in handling herself in high-stress, rapidly-changing, emotionally-fraught kinetic environments; and decided that the best use of her day was to take a 4,000-pound weapon and go intentionally and knowingly harass, impede, and interfere3 with Federal law enforcement operations. During the process of Sticking It To The Man she hit a Federal officer with her 4,000-pound weapon, and — predictably — got shot. This is, undeniably, a tragedy — especially for her children, who lost their mother — but this is not an event of historical significance……….

Pope Leo calls out ‘inclusive’ language as a painful, ‘Orwellian’ movement in the West
https://www.theblaze.com/news/pope-leo-calls-out-inclusivity

Ted Lieu’s Tough-Guy Letter to Oil Barons Goes HILARIOUSLY Off the Rails As the ‘Barons’ Just NUKE Him
https://twitchy.com/samj/2026/01/11/oil-and-gas-ted-lieu-n2423801
In an all-too-predictable display of Democrat hypocrisy, California Rep. Ted Lieu (the same guy who cheered ‘AMERICA IS BACK’ after dumping billions in aid to Ukraine) now whines on X about Trump’s push for U.S. oil giants to invest in Venezuela, going so far as to lightly (passive-aggressively) threaten them.
Because nothing screams patriotism like blocking cheap energy deals while funding endless foreign wars, right, Ted?

Economist: Want to Make America Affordable Again? Get Rid of These Zoning Laws
https://www.westernjournal.com/economist-want-make-america-affordable-get-rid-zoning-laws/
…restrictive zoning laws, often called “red tape,” increase housing prices, limit the supply of housing, and hinder economic growth.

Here’s the Judge Who Blocked Trump From Freezing $10 Billion in Childcare Funds
https://twitchy.com/brettt/2026/01/10/heres-the-judge-who-blocked-trump-from-freezing-10-billion-in-childcare-funds-n2423777
U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian, who was nominated to the bench by President Joe Biden, did not rule on the legality of the funding freeze but said the five states met a legal threshold “to protect the status quo” for at least 14 days while arguments are made in court.

Rifle Range

Range Day

I had two rifles to zero and time to spend with my wife. It was a wonderful day!

We took seven guns to the range and shot 4 of them, never noticing we didn’t have a chance to shoot the pistols.

We took two fun guns as well as my serious rifles for zeroing.

Wife brought Mrs. Pink, her AR-15. Yes, it has all pink furniture. It is most definitely hers. We set her up with a half size torso target at 50 yards. Truth, we don’t think she put a single round from her AR on paper.

On the other hand, she had a blast! She was using a single 20-round GI magazine from the 60s. What she got was manual of arms training. She learned how to load magazines, rather than having me hand her loaded mags.

She knew how to operate the rifle, but she didn’t have it down to the point she could just do it. So she got to practice charging the rifle, dropping the bolt after inserting a new magazine, removing and inserting magazines.

She was at a bench with a bench separating us. She did it all on her own. After getting her going, the next time she interacted with me was when she told me that Mrs. Pink was out of food. That was 100 rounds downrange. 3 of which were mine.

From there she moved to a Henry Big Boy in beautiful brass. This one is chambered in .22LR. She went through a couple of 100 round boxes, just beaming from ear to ear. She loved how smooth it was and how nice it was to shoot. She declared that she liked it better than Mrs. Pink.

At my bench, things were not going as well. My primary goal was to get the AR-10 zeroed. I have a new LVPO 1-8 by Vortex. Beautiful scope.

I had no real issues with the scope, except for having difficulty spotting where rounds were hitting the target. I never did get that figured out because after about 5 or 10 rounds I started to get failure to feed.

After I got back home, I did a bit of research, and AR-10s are known to be picky. They need 50 to 200 rounds before they are worked in, and they need lots of lube to begin with.

For me it was a single shot rifle with painful ergonomics to charge the next round. AR-10 buffer springs are much stronger than AR-15 buffer springs. I was there with 40 rounds in two mags. I think I sent 20 or so rounds downrange.

She’s been cleaned, lubed, and put away. I require some more range time. I require her to feed flawlessly every time.

On to the beauty of the day, my CZ 600 in 30-06.

This rifle has a trigger that makes my 1911s feel like Glock triggers (Yes, that is an insult to the Glock fanboys). It is a light trigger with zero take up. You put your finger on the trigger, think about pressing the trigger and the round is on its way downrange.

It has a vertical safety. It is likely a “crossbolt” style, but instead of the left to right arrangement I’ve seen for crossbolt safeties, this is vertical. The engage button is just behind the trigger guard. The disengage button is just behind the bolt. You just press down with your thumb to take the safety off.

I didn’t test the magazine feed; it comes with a 5-round magazine, but I feed each round individually.

With just boresighting, my first 3-round group was about 0.5 inches at 50 yards. It was also 4 inches left and a bit high from where my point of aim was. It took around 20 rounds before the point of aim and point of impact were nearly the same.

I don’t think I’ve shot a rifle as accurate as this before. I brag about punching primers with the 7.62×51 NATO Remington 700. This was easily 50 fold better than that Remington.

With the overkill of the scope, I could actually see point of impact. I could see my breathing modifying point of aim. I also found myself aiming for the corner of the 1″ square bullseye because that was more consistent than “somewhere” in the 1 in^2 red blotch.

For fun, I just put the crosshairs on the center of the 1/2 steel target at 100 yards. That rang true. So did aiming for the head of the steel.

It was just a little to crude to have any idea where on the steel I was getting impacts.

I’m still smiling from range day. Oh, it was warm today, with the temperature just above freezing and no real wind.

Funny snowman in knitted hat and yellow scalf with hands up on snowy field. Blue sky on background

The Winter of Love

It has been more than 24 hours since a paid agitator received the “Find Out” part of “FAFO”. Some things have become clear.

First, she is not married. She was living with a female partner raising children.

Her job was to be a paid agitator. She had taken professional development courses to further her career as a paid agitator.

Her partner was also a paid agitator.

She attacked a federal law enforcement officer with a deadly weapon. As such he does not need to wait to be lethally hit or severely injured before acting to stop the threat.

But the lie has entered the gestalt of the left.

She was an innocent woman attempting to flee an encounter with evil Trump minions, afraid for her life, when she was murdered for no reason at all.

I remember the anger I felt when I saw the video of Saint George Floyd being murdered by a police officer in full view of the world.

I remember how I was glad I was not there. Not knowing how I would have reacted to a cop attempting murder. Would I have killed the cop to save the life of that black man?

And it was all a lie.

That didn’t stop massive riots, the burning of cities, and the death of multiple people. All because the left and the media couldn’t stop lying.

It is my belief that the only reason we are not seeing massive riots already is the temperature is too low. It is too cold for a good riot.

If the weather changes for the better, it is likely we will see riots. If it doesn’t, it would not surprise me even a little that the media keeps things at a low simmer until it is warm enough for the riots to happen.

DefCon 3 right now, people. As it warms up, DefCon 2.

Keep strapped, keep your head on a swivel, stay away from stupid places, stupid people. Nothing good happens after midnight.

Computer binary code zero one numbers

It Is All Ones and Zeros

There are times when I wish I had entered the Computer Science world a few years earlier.

My mentor was born four years before I was. He went through the computer science program four years before I did at a prestigious university.

His academics took place as electrical engineering was morphing into computer science. Which meant that he was taught circuit design at a lower level than we were taught. He was taught how to design transistors and to build the hardware.

My class was taught bits, bytes, and words. We built on what his generation was learning as computers advanced.

A bit is the smallest amount of data that a computer can store. In fact, it is the only type of data that a computer can store.

Bits are grouped into bytes and words. Today, a byte is 8 bits long; in past years, it could be larger or smaller than that. I’ve worked on machines where a byte was defined as 12 bits.

Bits, by themselves, have no meaning. A programmer assigns meaning to a sequence of bits. Let’s take a byte of 8 bits, for example. The byte we will be looking at has a sequence of bits like this 0011 0001.

Again, this is meaningless until we assign meaning to it. If we say that it is an unsigned tiny integer, then a byte represents a value between 0 and 255, while our byte represents the integer 49. 0*128 + 0*64 + 1*32 + 1*16 + 0*8 + 0*4 + 0*2 + 1*1 = 49 base 10. We can also express that integer in base 16 as 0x31 or in base 8 as 061.

We could define it as a signed tiny integer; then a byte represents a value between -127 and 128. But one of the most magical ways of looking at the byte is as a character. In this format we have a table of values to glyphs or characters. The value 0x31, 49, 061, 0011 0001 is interpreted as the character “1”. In the same way, the value 0x41, 65, 101, 0100 0001 is interpreted as the character “A”.

In other words, a bit pattern doesn’t have meaning until we define what the value means.

Primitive Types

The CPU in a computer has several registers. Each register holds a bit pattern of a given size. The CPU can then manipulate registers with a fixed set of instructions. Those instructions define the meaning of the register for that instant. If we use the integer add operation, then the two registers are treated as integers with the result being stored in a third register. If we use floating point operations, then we treat the registers as 32 or 64 bit floating point numbers. Doubles are 128 or 64 bits. We can treat the registers as containing one byte or character or a multiple characters. Or, we can treat each bit as a boolean.

For languages, we normally have integer, unsigned integer, float, double, character, and string. These are all referred to as primitives.

While we have defined the type, we have not defined the meaning. For example, 1234.70 is a floating point number. But what does it mean.

It could be a price, a quantity, a physical measurement. If it is a physical measurement, then it is expressing units.

It is the meaning we give values that allows humans to interact with the data.

Formatting

Let’s say we are working with a basic product object. Each product has a SKU, price, description, and quantity in stock. We will call these “labels”. We give a primitive type to each. SKU=>string, price=>float, description=>string, quantity=>integer.

This is a good start, but we also define how we will format these values when we display the product for a user. We can say that SKU and description will be left-aligned, price will be formatted as currency ($x,xxx.xx) right-aligned, while quantity will be formatted as an integer (x,xxx) right-aligned. This formatting is encoded in the knowledge of the meaning of the labeled data.

Formatting is not part of the data; it is associated with the label. The label allows us to assign meaning to the data.

Viewing Data

Humans have a difficult time applying meaning to bit patterns, so each primitive type has a standard text format. This allows us to see the values of the data.

For example, we say that strings are input and displayed as quoted strings, “This is an example string”. Integers are input and displayed as an optional negative sign followed by a sequence of digits, 1-9 as the first character followed by 0 or more 0-9 characters. Or it can be a 0. This defines a base 10 integer. If integer starts with 0x, then what follows the x is an integer in base 16. if the first character after the sign is a 0, then it is octal.

Simple.

These rules for displaying and inputting values are well defined.

Information Interchange

This is a gigantic subject. We are going to barely touch on it. To transfer information in a meaningful way, we have to define the meaning of each datum that is exchanged.

There are specific tools for doing this. XML, JSON, YAML, SOAP, and others are designed specifically for this process.

Unfortunately, there are de facto “rules” for exchanging data. Rules that must be followed but that the people using them do not understand.

Excel, Word, and Other MicroSoft Monstrosities

The default for most people when exchanging a table of information is an Excel file, an xls file. How I hate this.

An Excel file gives labels to values and adds formatting but does not add meaning. Meaning comes from external sources.

So, we might have a two cells we are looking at; B1 has a value of “Price”. It is formatted as bold text, centered. B2 has a value of 7.50. It is formatted as text, so it displays as “$7.50”. If the cell was formatted as “number” or “general” it would display as 7.5.

It is the user who applies these formatting rules. It is the user who provides meaning to these values.

If you have an application that can read and display Excel sheets, then all is good.

But Excel sheets are not a great way to exchange data. As a matter of fact, they suck. Each cell must contain both formatting and values. There are linkages between cells and a hundred other things that can be added. They are painful to create programmatically.

The Savior of Data Interchange, CSV

It doesn’t get any simpler than a comma-separated values file. They use the well-defined primitive type display rules; they are easy to generate, they are row independent, and they can be read by a simple text editor.

The biggest thing to understand is that CSV exchanges values. The meaning of those values is up to the receiver.

Which is why expectations and Excel suck.

It’s Bad Data, No! It’s Being Displayed Wrong!

When a normal user receives a CSV file, they want to open the file and view it. On Microsoft platforms, the program tasked to do this is Excel. On many Linux platforms, the tool is LibreOffice. For Solaris it was OpenOffice.

These tools import the CSV file. That import process can break things, badly.

By default, a comma separates each field. If a comma is part of the value, it must be escaped. Quotes are used to provide escaping. Quotes within quoted strings must also be properly handled.

So we end up with client bug reports like this: “Data is misaligned throughout”.

What does this mean? It means that the client hasn’t properly defined the type and formatting for the column. In this case, the SKU sometimes consists of just digits. When this happens, Excel treats the value as an integer type. By default, integers are displayed right justified. If the value has characters in it, then it is displayed as a left justified character string.

Once you tell Excel that the SKU column only contains text, then the alignment issue goes away.

“The price column is missing dollar signs” means that values are being displayed as floating point numbers, not as currency. Change the format to currency, and it all just works.

“There are symbols instead of letters.” means they get what they put in. The value stored in the database has an accent in it. Like résumé.

The problem happens when Excel imports a word with accents on their Microsoft platform. My browser and LibreOffice both use the same font set, so I see résumé. Their Excel on their Microsoft platform displays the accent as something like a copyright symbol, ©.

They see what they put into the database, but they are unhappy that Excel is doing exactly what they asked it to do.

The Intermittent Missive – More News, Not Always Good News

January 5:

250 Years of America, and It Started With Gun Confiscation
https://bearingarms.com/tomknighton/2026/01/05/250-years-of-america-and-it-started-with-gun-confiscation-n1231090
Here, in the 250th year of our nation’s founding, the anti-gunners would do well to remember that no matter how much they want gun confiscation, we’re no less likely to balk at such a thing than our forefathers were. rewrite(liberals don’t STUDY history’s cause and effect, they try to rewite it to justify their own agenda – jlr)
V
Gun Confiscation Came First: How Disarming Colonists Led to Revolution
https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/gun-confiscation-american-revolution/
As America approaches its 250th anniversary, this history deserves careful reflection. The Second Amendment was not written out of paranoia. It was written from experience.

Sales of NFA Items Surge After Repeal of $200 Tax Takes Effect
https://bearingarms.com/camedwards/2026/01/05/sales-of-nfa-items-surge-after-repeal-of-200-tax-takes-effect-n1231097
(However, until suppressors, short-barreled rifles, shotguns, et al. are REMOVED from the NFA, you still MUST submit photos, fingerprints, and the paperwork to REGISTER it with the ATF, and then wait for up to a year for ATF approval. The job is only 1/3 done. the 2nd and 3rd are removing suppressors, SBRs, et al. from NFA, The final 1/3 is defunding, dismantling, dissolving, destroying all of the 4473 data they have stored, and closing the ATF and all of its self-made-up rules forever, NOT moving its functions, registration files, and 4473s files sent to the ATF by gun dealers when they close their business, and people to another department in the government, and then continueing ATF business as usual under a differnt name. – jlr)

Tenth Circuit Slaps Down New Mexico Over Waiting Period, Yet Again
https://bearingarms.com/tomknighton/2026/01/05/10-circuit-slaps-down-new-mexico-over-waiting-period-yet-again-n1231092

Court Decision Shredding California’s Open Carry Ban Could Have National Implications
https://bearingarms.com/camedwards/2026/01/05/court-decision-shredding-californias-open-carry-ban-could-have-national-implications-n1231094
The Ninth Circuit’s recent decision in Baird v. Bonta could have national implications on the right to carry going forward, both in the handful of states where openly carrying firearms is prohibited as well as several blue states where open carry is allowed without the need for a permit.

Pete Hegseth’s Accountability Announcement About a ‘Seditious Six’ Dem Triggers Chuck Schumer
https://twitchy.com/dougp/2026/01/05/secwar-pete-hegseth-makes-an-accountability-announcement-about-one-of-the-seditious-six-dems-n2423554?
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Pete Hegseth takes action against Sen. Mark Kelly, who egged on military to defy Trump in viral video
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/01/05/pete-hegseth-takes-action-against-sen-mark-kelly-who-egged-on-military-to-defy-trump-in-viral-video-1613933/
“Therefore, in response to Senator Mark Kelly’s seditious statements — and his pattern of reckless misconduct — the Department of War is taking administrative action against Captain Mark E. Kelly, USN (Ret),” the War Secretary added. “The department has initiated retirement grade determination proceedings under 10 U.S.C. § 1370(f), with reduction in his retired grade resulting in a corresponding reduction in retired pay.” “Captain Kelly’s status as a sitting United States Senator does not exempt him from accountability, and further violations could result in further action,”
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rcd vis e-mail
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth @SecWar
https://x.com/SecWar/status/2008189258528665898?s=20

WATCH Pro-Maduro Protester MALFUNCTION As Nate Friedman Shows Him Footage of Venezuelans Celebrating -Vid
https://twitchy.com/samj/2026/01/05/nate-friedman-protester-venezuela-n2423525
video – 00:01:36 – https://twitter.com/i/status/2007601639029608737
video – 00:00:29 – https://twitter.com/i/status/2007630439503278583

Socialist Network Mobilized Pro-Maduro Protests in 100+ Cities Within 12 Hours of Capture
https://istandforfreedom.com/socialist-pro-maduro-cities/
“A few of us stood up all night last night when we heard the news, conferring with each other, conferring with other organizers and, by 3:30, 4 o’clock this morning, we put out the call for demonstrations to happen today,” Brian Becker of the ANSWER Coalition admitted, describing the overnight mobilization that produced protests in “100-plus cities.

Venezuela Vexed: Chuck Schumer Was Fired Up for Maduro’s Removal Until Trump Made It a Reality (WATCH)
https://twitchy.com/warren-squire/2026/01/05/chuck-schumer-on-maduro-then-and-now-hypocrisy-n2423536
2020. Chuck Schumer criticizes Trump for not bringing an end to the Maduro regime.
Schumer: “The President brags about his Venezuela policy? Give us a break. He hasn’t brought an end to the Maduro regime.”
video – 00:00:48 – https://twitter.com/i/status/2007868827355484611

The Trump Effect: One Day After Maduro Capture, Reports Say Iran’s Supreme Leader Preparing to Flee Country to Moscow
https://www.westernjournal.com/trump-effect-one-day-maduro-capture-reports-say-irans-supreme-leader-preparing-flee-country-moscow/

Maduro First, Mexico Next? Trump Teases Next Possible Military Target After Capture of Maduro
https://www.westernjournal.com/maduro-first-mexico-next-trump-teases-next-possible-military-target-capture-maduro/
“She’s a good woman, but the cartels are running Mexico. She’s not running Mexico, the cartels are running Mexico,”…“And we can be politically correct and be nice and say… she’s very frightened of the cartels, they’re running Mexico. I’ve asked her numerous times, would you like us to take out the cartels. ‘No, no, no, Mr. President, no, no, no, please.’”…“So, we have to do something because we lost — the real number is 300,000 people, in my opinion. They like to say 100,000. 100,000 is a lot of people, but the real number is 300,000 people,” Trump continued. “And we lost them to drugs. And they come in through the southern border, mostly the southern border. Plenty come in through Canada, too, by the way, in case you don’t know. But they come in through the southern border, and something’s going to have to be done with Mexico.”
V
Venezuela Now Hunting Supporters of Maduro’s U.S. Capture
https://redstate.com/wardclark/2026/01/05/venezuela-now-hunting-supporters-of-maduros-us-capture-n2197782
Object lesson: When a corrupt government falls, every remaining aspect of that government has to be pulled out, root and branch, and every member of that illegitimate government, at the minimum, removed from any government role. And there just aren’t many governments more illegitimate than the rule of Venezuela by the thug-dictator Nicolás Maduro. Now the top man and his wife are facing federal charges in the United States, but his illegal junta is still in charge of the South American nation, and already, they are seeking reprisals against anyone in Venezuela who may have supported the American raid.
(Venezuela is FA, and soon my be in the DJT FO phase – jlr)
V
Venezuela Reportedly Ignores Trump Warnings, Initiates Ominous Manhunt
https://www.westernjournal.com/venezuela-reportedly-ignores-trump-warnings-initiates-ominous-manhunt/
… the state of emergency declared on Saturday, shortly after Maduro’s capture, includes a decree to “immediately begin the national search and capture of everyone involved in the promotion or support for the armed attack by the United States.”

Stephen Miller being considered for a role that will make liberal heads explode
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/01/05/stephen-miller-being-considered-for-a-role-that-will-make-liberal-heads-explode-1614007/
The Washington Post is reporting that Stephen Miller is being eyed for a higher role, and it may involve Venezuela.

Mamdani’s new director singles out ‘white families’: Property will go from an ‘individual good to a collective good’
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/01/05/mamdanis-new-director-singles-out-white-families-property-will-go-from-an-individual-good-to-a-collective-good-1613993/
NYC Mayor Mamdani’s Tenant Director, Cea Weaver: “We’ll transition from treating property as an individual good to a collective good. Whites especially will be impacted.”…While Weaver has evidently deleted her X account, she hasn’t done so quickly enough to prevent her ardent communist positions from being highlighted on social media. Libs of TikTok highlighted an August 2019 post that read, “Private property including and kind of ESPECIALLY homeownership is a weapon of white supremacy masquerading as ‘wealth building’ public policy.”
video – 00:00:35 – https://x.com/i/status/2008031475057439076
V
‘Seize private property’: NYC’s socialist mayor taps communist sympathizer to lead office to ‘Protect Tenants’
https://www.theblaze.com/news/seize-private-property-nycs-socialist-mayor-taps-communist-sympathizer-to-lead-office-to-protect-tenants
…an undated video resurfaced on social media of the activist discussing her goal to eliminate private property ownership. “I think the reality is, is that for centuries we’ve really treated property as an individualized good and not a collective good,” Weaver stated in the video. “And transitioning to treating it as a collective good and towards a model of shared equity will require that we think about it differently. And it will mean that families, especially white families but some [people of color] families who are homeowners as well, are going to have a different relationship to property than the one that we currently have.”
but wait, there’s MORE
New Yorkers seething over latest hike in subway fare
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/01/05/new-yorkers-seething-over-latest-hike-in-subway-fare-1613927/
(Mamdani swore to NYCers that everything would be free – jlr)

Woman films and confronts trans gym-goer masturbating in ladies room at Planet Fitness
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/01/05/woman-films-and-confronts-trans-gym-goer-masturbating-in-ladies-room-at-planet-fitness-1613977/
Man pretending to be a woman caught msturbating in the women’s bathroom with women present “I’m allowed to be in here… I’m a transgender.”…The location was later identified as a California Planet Fitness.
video – 00:04:37 – https://twitter.com/i/status/2007990639397679375

It’s always J6: Dem insists Maduro arrest done to distract from 5th anniversary of the ‘insurrection’
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/01/05/its-always-j6-dem-insists-maduro-arrest-done-to-distract-from-5th-anniversary-of-the-insurrection-1613921/Another day, another Democrat trying to pan President Donald Trump’s policies and actions as a “distraction” from an imaginary evil…U.S. Rep. Marilyn Strickland latched onto the latest narrative in an appearance on MS NOW as she pointed to the “coincidence” of Maduro’s capture with the upcoming anniversary of the Capitol riot, something that Democrats never let go of, and Congress plans to resurrect again as it reconvenes.
video – 00:04:20 – https://clipscache2.grabien.com/c/streams/3303/Uv3nscB6j6fKMdktleG6iQ/1767687206/3303756.mp4
V
Carville dumps his Grampers over Venezuela, claims Trump plot to distract from Epstein
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/01/05/carville-dumps-his-grampers-over-venezuela-claims-trump-plot-to-distract-from-epstein-1613924/
video – 00:06:21 – https://youtu.be/WqiIBwic6Mc
(liberals can’t even agree on why DJT arrested Maduro at this time – jlr)

Judge cuts off ousted Venezuelan dictator Maduro as he tries to defend himself in court
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/01/05/judge-cuts-off-ousted-venezuelan-dictator-maduro-as-he-tries-to-defend-himself-in-court-1613996/
The federal judge overseeing Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro’s case cut off the ousted leader as he tried to defend himself in court on Monday, according to several reports. Judge Alvin Hellerstein, a Clinton appointee, interrupted Maduro to say he was only asking for his identity, noting “there will be time and place to get into all of this,” according to the New York Times. Both Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, pleaded not guilty during their arraignment in Manhattan. (What did they expect? – jlr)

Sanctioned oil tankers try mass run at US blockade of Venezuela
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/01/05/sanctioned-oil-tankers-try-mass-run-at-us-blockade-of-venezuela-1613960/
At least 15 U.S. sanctioned oil tankers have reportedly broken the complete blockade of Venezuelan oil exports since the Saturday capture of ousted socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro, using so-called “dark mode” tactics to evade capture. Four tankers, now some 30-miles off port, were tracked by satellite sailing east…These tankers did not secure authorization from the new interim government led by Maduro’s former vice president, the NYT reported citing internal communications and two anonymous sources in the Venezuelan oil industry. The remaining ships have not been located and are not broadcasting any signals. “The embargo on all Venezuelan oil remains in full effect,” President Donald Trump said

Hilton Hotels Is About to Have a Very Bad Week After What They Just Pulled in Minneapolis
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/amy-curtis/2026/01/05/hilton-hotels-dhs-n2668912
They’ve decided to opt for the Bud Light Treatment and align themselves with the Left’s anti-Trump “Resist” movement. How? By denying hotel rooms in Minneapolis to government officials. Both the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have called out the hotel mega-chain. “When officers attempted to book rooms using official government emails and rates, Hilton Hotels maliciously CANCELLED their reservations,” DHS wrote on X. “This is UNACCEPTABLE. Why is Hilton Hotels siding with murderers and rapists to deliberately undermine and impede DHS law enforcement from their mission to enforce our nation’s immigration laws?” DHS also shared an email from a Hilton employee with the subject “Upcoming reservation.” In the email, the employee wrote, “After further investigation online, we have found immigration work connected with your name, and we will be canceling your upcoming reservation. You should see a proper cancellation email in your inbox shortly from Hilton.” Another screenshot shared another message that read, “This email is in regards to the reservation you made with the Hampton Inn Lakeville property. We have noticed an influx of GOV reservations made today that have been for DHS and we are not allowing any ICE or immigration agents to stay at our property. If you are with DHS or immigration, let us know as we will have to cancel your reservation. Please pass this info to your coworkers that we are not allowing any immigration agents to house on our property.”
V
Updated: Hilton Responds After DHS Says Hotels Told Them to Pound Sand, Stay Somewhere Else
https://redstate.com/bobhoge/2026/01/05/no-vacancy-dhs-says-hilton-hotels-told-them-to-pound-stand-stay-somewhere-else-n2197784
Hilton Hotels has finally responded with a milquetoast statement claiming their properties “serve as welcoming places for all.” It does not say whether there will be any consequences for the apparently inhospitable attitude of its member hotel or hotels…We are investigating this matter with this individual hotel, and can confirm that Hilton works with governments, law enforcement, and community leaders around the world to ensure our properties are open and inviting to everyone.

Is ‘Little Rocket Man’ About to FAFO? North Korea Reports Hypersonic Missile Test Flights
https://redstate.com/mike_miller/2026/01/05/is-little-rocket-man-about-to-fafo-north-korea-reports-test-flights-of-hypersonic-missiles-n2197771
As North Korean media reported on Monday, Kim, the Hermit Kingdom dictator — hilariously dubbed “Little Rocket Man” by President Donald Trump during his first term — observed test flights of hypersonic missiles and emphasized the need to strengthen the country’s nuclear war deterrent. While Kim has puffed out his chest and made more ridiculous bluffs than most of us can remember throughout his vice-like grip on the Hermit Kingdom, surely he’s not insane enough to think he could win a nuclear war with the United States, right? Dunno. But I do know that if he were foolish enough to try, North Korea would likely be reduced to a smoldering parking lot if necessary.

Centrist House Democrats Furious Over Party Leadership’s Response to Maduro Capture
https://www.westernjournal.com/centrist-house-democrats-furious-party-leaderships-response-maduro-capture-report/

SBSS 9 – The Historical Case For $960 Silver
video – 00:05:39 – SBSS 9 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLhqp0-jnTU&t=23s

January 6:

as if on cue – – –
Venezuela’s Acting Gov’t Blames The Jews for Maduro Seizure
https://gellerreport.com/2026/01/venezuelas-acting-govt-blames-the-jews-for-maduro-seizure.html/
…blaming Israel for a U.S. military operation against the Nicolás Maduro regime—an accusation as deranged as it is revealing…Venezuelan officials openly invoke antisemitic tropes—calling the operation “Zionist”—while Western activists and influencers echo the slander, proving once again that when a tyrant falls, the reflex of the Jew-haters is not to celebrate freedom, but to blame the Jews.

US Mint unveils new coins for America’s 250th birthday
https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/nation-world/new-coins-americas-250-birthday-us-mint-pictures/507-07327abe-6c49-4eb6-835a-496adba9fa75
The United States Mint unveiled the designs for the coins on Wednesday night at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The designs commemorate the United States’ semiquincentennial milestone and will be displayed on the 2026 dime, quarter, and half-dollar coin.

Judge Resigns After Conviction for Helping Violent Illegal Immigrant Evade ICE Arrest
https://americanjournaldaily.com/judge-illegal-conviction/
In her resignation letter, Dugan had the audacity to frame her criminal actions as a noble crusade, claiming she is fighting for an “independent judiciary.” Give me a break. A truly independent judiciary is one that is free from political bias and loyal only to the law. What she did was the exact opposite: she allowed her radical politics to command her, turning her into an activist who happened to wear a robe. Her fight is not for the independence of the judiciary; it is for the supremacy of her own ideology over the rule of law. It is the arrogant belief, common among the liberal elite, that the rules don’t apply to them if they are acting in the service of a cause they deem righteous.

(rcd over the transom today – jlr)
The Immediate Liberation of Tina Peters: A Plain Reckoning
https://professordavidclements.substack.com/p/the-immediate-liberation-of-tina
I OPENED MY EMAIL after posting my thanks to President Trump for pardoning Tina Peters. Demons howled. Tim Johnson wrote, “She’s not pardoned you f–king moron. Do you not understand how the law works, you idiot? Seriously consider suicide.”…Tina had copied the records, preserved the truth of votes shifted in the night like shadows fleeing light. For that, the state had chained her, called it a the crime. But truth is no crime.

Gets WORSE: Can’t IMAGINE Why Minneapolis Hilton’s Leaders Didn’t Want ICE Around (Check Out Who RUNS It)
https://twitchy.com/samj/2026/01/06/cant-imagine-why-the-minneapolis-hiltons-leadership-didnt-want-ice-around-check-out-who-runs-it-n2423590
(All Indians from India, and ALL giving the same residence address – jlr)

Hilton Axes Hotel From Their Systems After Video Shows Them Continuing to Ban DHS and ICE Agents
https://redstate.com/rusty-weiss/2026/01/06/hilton-axes-hotel-from-their-systems-after-video-shows-them-continuing-to-ban-dhs-and-ice-agents-n2197811
Hilton Hotels swiftly terminated its franchise agreement with an independently owned Hampton Inn in Minnesota after a video surfaced showing the hotel continuing to refuse rooms to DHS and ICE agents. Less than two hours after the video had been uploaded to X, Hilton issued another statement saying they were dropping that particular hotel from their list of franchisees and accusing ownership of lying to them about making corrections to their policy.

Etiquette Is Civilization: How Manners Make Freedom Possible
https://pjmedia.com/jamie-wilson/2026/01/06/etiquette-is-civilization-how-manners-make-freedom-possible-n4947962
… When adulthood carries no honor and no expectation, people stop aspiring to it. You wind up with a nation of self-indulgent toddlers…The result is a paradox familiar to anyone living in a bureaucratized society: the more formal rules are added, the worse public behavior becomes. Not because rules are evil, but because rules cannot substitute for internal restraint. This is where “Karen” behavior emerges, not as a personality flaw, but as a learned strategy.
(An armed society is a polite society. Manners are good when one may have to back up his acts with his life. – Robert A. Heinlein, Beyond This Horizon.- jlr)

Screenshot 2026-01-06 113203.jpg

Why the Second Amendment is life-or-death important.
https://miguelgg.substack.com/p/why-the-second-amendment-is-life
The best way to define Colectivos is the final form of Antifa: A disparate bunch of people, highly oriented to Socialism, mostly by convenience and no military training required. where do they get guns in a country that has gun control laws that would make Moms Demand and Brady have uncontrollable orgasms? From the Government, of course. Why? Because the population is NOT armed and they can be easily bullied by the Colectivos with the not-so-tacit blessings of the powers that be.

Is there a difference between opportunistic predators and inner city youth?
https://www.facebook.com/reel/840424462150458

January 7:

9-11-2001 has been “officially” DISREMEMBERED by New York State and NYC
New York Governor Orders World Trade Center Lit Green for Muslim American Heritage Month, Sparking Backlash
https://istandforfreedom.com/new-york-trade-muslim/

rcd via e-mail
Trump: ‘The Fraud Investigation of California Has Begun’
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/01/06/trump-the-fraud-investigation-of-california-has-begun/
“California, under Governor Gavin Newscum, is more corrupt than Minnesota, if that’s possible??? The Fraud Investigation of California has begun. Thank you for your attention to this matter!

Democrat Leaders Rush To Defend Brutal Dictator
https://gellerreport.com/2026/01/democrat-leaders-rush-to-defend-brutal-dictator.html/

‘Nothing Is Off the Table’: DOJ Tightens Noose as Nicolás Maduro and Wife Plead Not Guilty, Victims Demand Maximum Justice
https://gellerreport.com/2026/01/nothing-is-off-the-table-doj-tightens-noose-as-nicolas-maduro-and-wife-plead-not-guilty-victims-demand-maximum-justice.html/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DAY 10: Iran Erupts Nationwide: Protests Reach 28 Provinces as Chants for the Shah Return Grow and Death Toll Rises
https://gellerreport.com/2026/01/day-10-iran-erupts-nationwide-protests-reach-28-provinces-as-chants-for-the-shah-return-grow-and-death-toll-rises.html/

The Simurgh Rises: How an Ancient Persian Myth Has Become the Symbol of Iran’s Revolt
https://gellerreport.com/2026/01/the-simurgh-rises-how-an-ancient-persian-myth-has-become-the-symbol-of-irans-revolt.html/
The Simurgh, the majestic bird of Persian lore, traditionally described with the head of a dog, the claws of a lion, and the tail of a peacock, embodies centuries of pre-Islamic wisdom, resilience, and the inherent power of the people. From the epic verses of Ferdowsi to the Sufi parables of Attar, the Simurgh now soars through protest art, poetry, and social media, offering a potent counter-narrative to the centralized authority of the Ayatollahs. An ancient myth has taken flight, becoming a powerful symbol of resistance against the clerical regime in Iran.

“DEATH TO KHAMENEI!”: Iran Uprising Explodes, Police Defect, IRGC Collapses in Tehran as Banks Burn and Towns Go Regime-Free
https://gellerreport.com/2026/01/iran-uprising-explodes.html/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Escape From New York: Mamdani Edition
https://wilderwealthywise.com/escape-from-new-york-mamdani-edition/
…if you want to sell your multifamily building, you must first offer it to the city and favored nonprofits…For how long? Six months…An owner must notify the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), and these ***friends of Zohan “qualified entities” get first dibs. If you finally get an offer from a private buyer, NYC and its pet nonprofits still have a right of first refusal to match the offer within 15 days.
Screenshot 2026-01-06 113203.jpg

US Seizes Venezuelan ‘Shadow Tanker’ Being Escorted by Russia
https://www.westernjournal.com/breaking-us-seizes-venezuelan-shadow-tanker-escorted-russia/
The Marinera has used six names since 2020, and sailed under the flags of five nations.

611591403_1424271569414586_1088217260632298220_n.jpg

This Venezuelan’s Question Will Stump Every Single Democrat, Liberal, and Leftist Screaming That Trump Just Wants Oil
https://www.westernjournal.com/watch-venezuelans-question-will-stump-every-single-democrat-liberal-leftist-screaming-trump-just-wants-oil/
One Venezuelan is asking a question we should probably be asking everyone falling back on this platitude: If the United States were interested in oil, why, pray tell, were its enemies so interested in Venezuela, as well?
This Venezuelan is spot on:.“Those who say that the U.S. is only interested in our oil, I ask you: What do you think the Russians and the Chinese wanted here? The recipe for arepas?”
video – 00:00:23 – https://twitter.com/i/status/2007663297252958251

Armed Venezuela motorcycle gangs hunt Trump supporters, claim it’s a ‘government directive’
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/01/07/armed-venezuela-motorcycle-gangs-hunt-trump-supporters-claim-its-a-government-directive-1614488/
The patrols have been stopping/searching cars and demanding access to people’s phones to ensure they haven’t expressed support for Maduro’s ouster by the U.S. Trump administration. The Telegraph has confirmed that the Colectivos are operating as per “a government directive” from interior minister Diosdado Cabello, who’s been seen posing with them:

Roast in hell, You bastard
https://thelawdogfiles.substack.com/p/roast-in-hell
Yesterday I learned that Federal Inmate #40087-083 finally kicked the bucket, which was about 32 years more than he deserved. Personally, I think he should have been blood eagle’d on the National Mall in 1994. For those of you who are clueless as to the details of this little bugsnipe, Aldrich Ames was a CIA employee who — from 1985 until finally getting yoinked in 1994 — intentionally and knowingly revealed the identity of every single US intelligence asset known to him to the Soviet Union; as well as every single allied nation intelligence asset he was aware of, and every intelligence operation.

Corporation for Public Broadcasting Dissolves After Trump Administration Cuts Funding
https://americanjournaldaily.com/cpb-trump-cuts/
well bye.jpg

Trump’s DHS Delivers Horrible News to Ilhan Omar – She ‘Absolutely’ Can Be Denaturalized and They’re Investigating on ‘Massive’ Scale
https://www.westernjournal.com/watch-trumps-dhs-delivers-horrible-news-ilhan-omar-absolutely-can-denaturalized-investigating-massive-scale/
video – 00:02:51 – https://twitter.com/i/status/2008256936295399905

Rep. Jasmine Crockett Blasts Supreme Court Over Texas Redistricting That Eliminates Her Seat
https://americanjournaldaily.com/scotus-texas-crockett/
This isn’t about loyal opposition anymore. It’s about a generation of activists masquerading as lawmakers who see the Supreme Court, the Constitution, and basic decorum as annoyances. And every once in a while, one of them gets comfortable enough to say exactly what they’re all thinking. “Obviously, Trump is still doing his bidding with these state Houses and state Senates and governor’s mansions to try to rig the system,” Crockett said in the YouTube video. “Kudos to Indiana for saying fck you. Kudos to California for saying we’re going to fight back.”…“Definitely kudos to the Trump justice who wrote the 160-page opinion denouncing what took place in Texas and fck you to the Supreme Court for what they did as well as, you know, we’ll see what happens in some other places,” Crockett went on.

https://miguelgg.substack.com/p/not-the-truth-but-a-way-to-put-it
Not the truth, but a way to put it. – The desperation of slowly swirling into irrelevance.
Our friends of the Gun Banning Giffords company posted this:“Renee was shot and killed by ICE agents while observing an operation from her car.”…They make it sound like she was parked at a drive-in, munching some Juju beans rather than trying to block ICE operations with her vehicle and then hitting one agent with her SUV…She used illegally used deadly force, and the response was proportionate…. and better aimed.

From Behind Enemy Lines – Socialism
https://vineofliberty.com/2026/01/07/from-behind-enemy-lines-socialism/
Socialism is a disease. It fixes nothing. It encourages bad things to happen. In Venezuela, it led to people eating zoo animals out of desperation. I don’t want to see that happen here. I’m watching Mamdani in NYC, talking about how property should be a socially owned rather than privately owned thing. That’s how it starts. I don’t want the enemy lines to be IN my country.

And now for something totally different
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1942194023038309
The clueless green mindset ignorance here is absolutely stunning – and she isn’t going too far, an expensive distance, but not far

A humanoid robot works in an office on a laptop to listening Music in  Headphone, showcasing the utility of automation in repetitive and tedious tasks.

Robot Attacks

I should title this, “I don’t know what I don’t know.”

Bitnami stopped providing free WordPress images. This means I have to create a container and docker compose control file that will plug in and replace the Bitnami version.

This isn’t horribly difficult; it just takes a bit of work. Even now, I just realized that I can make a change that will make my life a little easier, so it is something I will do.

The problem is that there is a possibility of crashing the site. Not something I want to do.

So I’ve been putting it off.

The good news is that we went from a point fix to a point release. We were on 6.8.2; 6.8.3 came out. I found out the need to redo the containers.

Before that happened, 6.9.0 was released.

I have a policy of waiting for the point fix before migrating. The point fix would be 6.9.1.

In the meantime, Google changed the way they handle reCAPTCHA, that annoying thing that asks, “Are you human?”

The robots found The Vine and proceeded to register around 450 users before I shut down user registration.

Those have been cleaned out. Unfortunately that took a bit of time, and now I have to look into the newest version of robot defenses.

Argh, why can’t this stuff be simple?

Meanwhile, on a different screen, I’m looking at a 3D model with dropdowns for “work”, “RPM”, “boiler pressure,” and a few other things that feed into the built-in spreadsheet. That spreadsheet then drives the 3D model.

This has required learning things that every backwoods machinist used to know. Now it requires reading books published in the late 1800s.

Oh, getting my AI to give me trustworthy numbers is driving me bonkers.

From Behind Enemy Lines – Socialism

So to my understanding, Maduro stole more than one election. There’s information online about elections in 2018 and earlier, and then 2020, and again in 2024. This most recent one was won by the opposition leader, supported by Maria Machado (who couldn’t run, don’t know why, didn’t bother looking it up). Maduro ignored the win and claimed the presidency anyhow.

Sometime in Trump 1.0, we put a $15mil target on Maduro’s head. Biden’s people upped that to $25mil. Both sides of the aisle wanted this guy gone, very obviously. And why shouldn’t they? Venezuela has good oil reserves, and we’re set up to refine them. They have stuff we want, and we have stuff they need. Seems like a good connection. We also want to stop cocaine from coming to America from Venezuela, and since it seems that Maduro and his cronies were in on that, it just feels like a win all over.

Having the crazy Left standing up and protesting the capture (not murder, not assassination, not maiming, but *capture*) of a wanted fugitive that has a price on his head put there by both a Republican AND a Democratic President is just… bizarre. I don’t understand it at all. As several people have pointed out, the Left has been crying “no kings” for some time now, but when we removed an honest to goodness dictator, they get their panties in a wad.

Of course, the anger is all because “orange man bad.” It’s TDS run amok. I hate saying that, but it’s true. Most people have no idea what they’re talking about. And frankly, I’m not the idiot whisperer. I am not interested in educating most of the people who are Left of me. It’s exhausting even to talk to them. I have to prove every point and they get to “feel” I’m wrong. There’s no point.

All of this brings me to talking about socialism. I originally hail from Canada, having moved to the States some 25 years ago. I am American now. I have assimilated (with the possible exception of my continuing love of Tim Horton’s coffee and my occasional mispronunciation of “roof” lol). I now teach American history to people at living history museums. I love my chosen country, and I will defend her to my last breath.

Having grown up in Canada, however, I can tell you that socialism is not a good thing. Canada isn’t entirely socialist, but it’s very democratic (mob rule) and that’s not far from socialism on the political spectrum. The health care system is definitely socialist, and it’s dismal. The insurance is much less complex than America’s, certainly, but the CARE is horrendous. Here, insurance is a shit maze, but the care you get is phenomenal. I’ll pick door #2 every time, thank you.

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