… or better yet, a control that powers down all the neurons, snyapses, and whatnot and reactivates them only when something really important happens in real life.
Lately, I could use something like that. Power me down to standby mode just like my DVD player. Yeah.
It’s been a depressing winter. Not only for the standard seasonal reasons but because the darkness and cold of the real world feel so much like a metaphor for the darkness and cold that are descending on freedom.
I had a plan to get temporarily to someplace warmer and lighter than the NorthWET. But the plan itself became a cause of Giant, Screaming STRESSSSSS. Cancelled that. Now the endless winter remains and the politicians in DC and state capitals peck and rip at the rotted remnants of the Constitution (and crow over their poisonous gun-grabbing feast) and I grok the concept of doldrums in every waking moment. And though I understand that the February chill and the death of the country aren’t necessarily related … well, yes they are.
—–
A friend wrote the other day to note that everybody in her political realm is (I paraphrase) “poised on the edge of a razor blade, bleeding over every little thing.” Angry. Edgy. Ready to explode over small provocations — since, face it, they have not yet figured out how to explode at the BIG provocations without doing a (totally futile) Carl Drega.
Have you seen this, too? The boiling rage, the frustration bursting out in big or small but all-too-often inappropriate ways?
What I see — although admittedly I may be perceiving the reflection of my own mood — is anger indeed. But also a vast weariness at the prospect of fighting the gun-grabbers one more time over the same old issues. A weariness that doesn’t signal resignation. Not at all. But a weariness that is compounded by frustration and a dread uncertainty about … where and when and how.
We will rise to freedom’s defense, of course. The light will return. But what a monstrous long, dark winter this looks to be.
Yes, I have seen it and felt it myself. I have to keep reminding myself that The State is largely imaginary (even though its believers can have real effects), and that even most of the clueless stumbling statists aren’t really my enemies. But some days…
I have to work on my attitude.
Carl Drega is one of my personal heroes. Better to burn out than to fade away.
The State may be imaginary, Kent, but I’m pretty sure the guns are real.
I can only report my own mood, which is weariness to the point of not giving a damn anymore what they do. Hell, just pass whatever laws you want and be damned. I ain’t respecting them. If that offends you, I’m sure you know where to find me.
I can understand the frustration, especially when faced with stories like this one.
http://rhinoden.rangerup.com/the-curious-case-of-staff-sergeant-parsons/
Like I wrote on TMM, the best friend of a Bitch is a government with laws like this guy is facing and a judge that refuses to help.
There’s no doubt that I know people who are on edge. I’m one of them. It’s not all due to politics and bad government, but that’s a big part. The worst part of the weariness is when you get to the point where you sort of wish that the whole thing would just fall apart, so you could get off the fence and get on with whatever comes after, which, irrespective of how bad it gets, you think at least you’d be making a fresh start and working towards something tangible.
The other thing I notice is that this weariness can bring with it a certain amount of paralysis. I’m making less progress on various projects now, even though through the winter months, the indoor stuff ought to be getting more attention. This doesn’t bode well for my being prepared, but as I watch the landscape shift, I find I’m re-prioritizing, but then it shifts again. This is, I suppose, a good argument for ignoring a lot of the crap that’s going on, but it’s hard to avoid hearing about it, or bumping into it, as in trying to buy ammo or reloading components.
I grew up in the general area, so I’m not much bothered by overcast and grey, but even so, under the current circumstances, I think it might get to be a bit much. My reaction wouldn’t be to seek out a sunnier clime, though. I’d just end up trying to spend as much time listening to the ocean as possible. I sure miss that.
Making a gratitude list is good for the soul. Especially when we don’t feel like it.
Dogs and kids playing in the snow for hours on end this past weekend.
The friendly faces of the locals at a pub we spent an hour in. One of my favorite, lesser known Creedence songs was on the box.
Reconciliation with a family member.
6th grade nephew is interested in reading RebelFire.
I have accounts waiting to do business with me tomorrow.
Crap! I have accounts waiting to do business with me tomorrow! G’night!!
It has been a dreadfully dreary winter in my area.
My brain has been traveling back and forth from depression to anger to apathy. I feel like I’m watching a sputtering volcano, wondering when it will finally erupt.
Weary is the right word.
Some days, I want to stop the death watch, shut the computer down, and go find a sunny beach. But then, I remember that the Gulf has grown polluted with BP oil and gas. So, I just go back to watching the volcano, and wondering…when…
DH had something on TV the other day, and the corner of my ear caught the phrase Drama Fatigue, which I thought was truly apropos. OMG! the Mayan calender end of the world! OMG! a comet! OMG! drought! OMG! meat shortages! OMG! drug resistant super bugs! OMG! sequester! OMG! gun ban! OMG! OMG! OMG!
All these things may or may not come to pass. All these things may or may not affect me. I’m glad to be aware of all the potential hazards coming down the road, but I’m not going to try dealing with them until they actually happen. If there’s anything I can do, I do it and if not then I try to let it go. They don’t call me Polly for no good reason.
There’s a saying in AA, “Feelings aren’t facts.” that I keep reminding myself of. I remind myself that winter is winding down and it’s soon time to start my veg seeds. I organized my seeds to be ready. I’m looking forward to firewood harvesting season right around the corner instead of letting the rapidly diminishing woodpile hurt my feelings. I’m enjoying the little bit of snow we’re finally getting and trying not to agonize over another wildfire summer, even tho this bit of snow is nowhere near enough. I’d love to have some norWet and an apple tree luxuriating in the moisture. But for today, all I can do is offer a hug (((Claire))) and thanks for keeping my head out of the sand.
I refer to times like this as “The long dark tea time of the soul,” to borrow a line from Douglas Adams. I also like “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” Freedom is like owning a house or a car, it requires constant maintenance to keep it running and vigilance to protect it from theft and destruction.
The battles keep being fought over and over because our enemies are not rational, they can not be reasoned with. One must draw a hard line and refuse to be dragged across it. Anytime someone reasons with the forces of evil, more ground is lost.
The winter weather here has been strange. More snow and rain then we’ve seen in years, lots of inconvenience and freezing nights. We met it with stoycism, wood splitting and warm clothes. The rain and snow means more moisture in the ground for spring, more wildflowers and replenishment of the groundwater. I have already planted garlic and despite frost and freezes and snow it is still alive and growing. There is hope, we just have to maintain and carry on.
Its only 22 days til Spring!!!
I’m in the NE, I usually start the countdown the first time I shiver in October. The older I get, the less I seem to like winter. And this winter has been worse than most.
Like most others, I have become weary, frustrated, anxious, etc. over the games being played by gov. I try not to watch or let it bother me, it just seems more difficult to do in the winter, when the influence and benefit of spending time with nature is limited.
Unfortunately, my personal situation is way too similar to what is happening in the larger world right now. My wife’s company is about to fold, just like gov and the financial world. There is never any positive news coming from either. Every time I think “this is the last straw, something’s gonna happen now”, something does, but its never what I expect. I thought banks should be allowed to fail, gov came in with bailouts and quantitative easing. Last week, just when we thought her company would close, the principals came up with a pile of money to keep going another week/month.
Indefinate anticipation sucks. Little did I realize when I took the neme “just waiting” that it was to describe my lifelong condition
Too bad government’s brain doesn’t come with an ON switch…
I second Joel’s “…weariness to the point of not giving a damn anymore what they do. Hell, just pass whatever laws you want and be damned.” (Of course my having a bad head cold for three weeks hasn’t helped, but these days, viewing reality from under water can’t be blamed entirely on illness.)
Winter here has been wet and cold, but with little snow, thank goodness. It being February the shortest month, and now almost finished, there is hope for Spring and a garden forthcoming. Frankly this is the first year I’ve ever wanted to go further south – ordinarily I like the feel of cold weather, but it’s gotten to me this winter. Probably like others, I am just WEARY. Spring is coming!
“Death Watch” is exactly what it is, Water Lily… I’ve likened it to the morbid fascination of watching a train wreck in slow motion, too. But, your phrase is more apt — because we know how things will inevitably turn out. Or at least we thing we do.
Hypervigilance is what we’re suffering from – trying to keep track of all the different perceived threats at one time. Financial, personal, freedoms – pick the flavor of the month, and dealing with “crazy”. Dealing with crazy – and trying to rationally talk sense to it is futile. So we sleep with one eye open, waiting for the next crazy shoe to drop. We talk sense to each to other and write off “crazy”. “Crazy” only thinks it has power – it believes it’s own BS.
Roubini is the guy who came up with the theory of “Black Swans” and made it popular. There’s something to this theory, I have to admit. But he completely misses the flip side… which according to Taoists always exists: a completely unexpected, beneficial, life-saving (freedom-upholding?) event is just as likely to happen in reality – a “White Swan”. There is just as much chance of something like this happening (statistically) as there is the worst case scenario.
We saw white swans on Monday on our trip to the mainland. And the trees are purple and have fat buds on them; the weed-shrubs are getting that light, gray-green fuzz to ’em that means they’re going to leaf out too. We’re probably a month – six weeks – ahead of spring up north… but it’s coming, just like every year.
Priorities shifting – boy, do I know that one, too. I spent the winter reading, trying to fill some gaps in my knowledge with practical books. And I have a very, very long list of things to do… which always feels like a 16 ton anvil. So, I’ve decided to keep track of what I do accomplish — instead of “what’s still left”.
The stuff I can’t control — well, if I can’t control it, I’ll be damned if I let it control me. So THERE. And that’s the s’truth… (remember her? Gilda Radnor?)
I have to agree.
I don’t care for Yahoo-news but just to measure the palpable tension across the land, go and read any headline of a political nature. Then, skip the article and go directly to the comment section. Whoa! We are not alone. The general sentiment across the land (unless it is the same 1,000+ people posting on every article) is one of disgust with government and not going to take it any more.
So, the proper liberty-minded attitude is as has been stated all ready: Go ahead and pass whatever laws you want. We are not going to obey you anyway! It is so refreshingly American in the true sense of what this country really stood for in years gone by.
The more the .gov crowd pushes, there more people they force into resistance. And that is a good thing for team liberty. In their infinite hubris, .gov will eventually make that last final over-step and BAM! all hell will break loose.
I have to believe that or I will go Drega too.
Here’s a bit of Pollyanna looking for the silver lining on the dark horizon…
““Officials warn sequester could hinder gun control” The Problem Being…?”
http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2013/02/robert-farago/officials-warn-sequester-could-hinder-gun-control-the-problem-being/
Intense thread. Perceptive, all around. It seemed useful. I’d comment a boat load, but I’ve things to do.
I thought Drega was the name of charater in a John Wayne film, prehaps that was Dregoes?
I dunno, I think my stress is down. Faced with the prospect of losing most of my “stuff,” I came to the realization that you can be OWNED by your stuff, and not the other way around. Like the Willie Nelson song:”But be careful what you’re dreaming
Soon your dreams will be dreaming you”
Are you owned by your “stuff” or does your “stuff” own you?
I take comfort in the local Free State Project community. This year, at the town’s “deliberative” session – we actually won the big issues! With help from some locals, we actually CUT the budget by 10% ( not a reduction of the increases ), axed the new townhall building fund, and so on.
Also, I see people waking up EVERYWHERE. Sure, there’s a lot of caterwauling on the so-called mainstream media – but that’s becoming increasingly irrelevant against the internet. Did you know that NBC’s “sweep week” ratings are below Univision?? Holy crap! NBC may go the way of the dodo!
Yes, I have some things that concern me, but there are some shafts of light peaking between the thunderheads.
Kentucky winters tend to be gloomy with primer-gray skies and monochrome landscape. At my last job, I built lightboxes with fluorescent and incandescent lights in them-the physical therapy used them as treatment for winter-related depression. Supposedly, the wide spectrum of light helped.
Once in a while, we get one of those crystal-clear blue sky low humidity winter days that just absolutely spectacular..
To me, what’s truly creepy are the people who seem to think all this “security” you’re being provided with is a good idea…
Joel- “The State may be imaginary, Kent, but I’m pretty sure the guns are real.”
Sure, the guns are real, but The State can’t pull even one trigger. Only individuals can. Each individual will have to choose whether to be a thug or not. They may base their decision on their superstitions about The State, but the responsibility still lies upon them.
I am reminded of the Irish vote to join the EU. The first vote failed. So did the second, the third, and so on. But each time, by a slightly smaller margin.
At long last, a vote came in with just over 50%, and there hasn’t been another vote since. Of course not, since the “tireless minority” got what they wanted.
That’s why the endless nagging of the Nanny State creates the Carl Dregas, and Christopher Dorners. There comes a time when the only choice is capitulation or violence, as demonstrated by the charge “resisting arrest”. And the state, being very good at overwhelming violence, will win the overwhelming majority of those encounters.
“Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.” — C.S. Lewis
We live in exactly that environment, where the polypragmatoi are relentless in their attacks on other people’s freedoms.
In L. Neil Smith’s “North American Confederacy” books, I noticed that every time someone tries to assert even a small quantity of “government”, that someone is immediately and terminally dealt with. The first time I read those books, it seemed to me to be an over-reaction. Just ignore them, I thought, and they’ll eventually go away.
I was wrong. And yes, I also see the exhaustion in people’s faces. The polypragmatoi just never stop pushing, and I do not understand how they can not see just what it is they are pushing toward.
IndividualAudienceMember, I cannot recommend highly enough the book by Vin Suprynowicz, “The Ballad of Carl Drega”.
Drega was nagged to the breaking point by the nanny state.
I went to AbeBooks.com to see about used copies of “Carl Drega”, “Send In the Waco Killers”, wow! Collector’s items! Right up there with “Unintended Consequences”.
Here in the southeast it seems to be more of a quiet resignation. People aren’t even talking about it as much as they were a year or two ago – just prepping. Everywhere around me I see people prepping (food, guns & ammo – to the extent possible, and metal purchases, along with a lot more people looking into alternative power and fuel sources). I also sense a bit of withdrawal from society by many who were prone to angry outbursts not so long ago – a form of mental/emotional prepping, or so I believe. Weariness is the right word, but also resignation.
I learned this a few years ago—anger never pays. I mean, maybe as a tool in a physical battle, but then being in a physical battle is pretty lousy to start with. Other than that, it’s never self-serving.
These times are surely exhausting, and incredulous to boot. Hopefully we’ll build above it and destroyers will destroy themselves. But it never pays to be angry at someone for their idiocy, or even their thuggery. Being angry is not what we strive for, and why should someone else’s monstrosity cause us not to be as we wish? It shouldn’t. We should never try to be as we don’t wish.
Plus, anger at others is semi-fake anyway. We don’t control them, so anger can serve no purpose. We’re really angry at ourselves for one reason or another. Since that’s the only thing we control, that’s the only thing there’s any point in getting angry about. So at the very best, anger at others is a complete waste. But that’s pragmatics, and I suck at Pragmatism.
There’s always manipulation too, perhaps as an indirect use for anger, but engaging manipulation against another person is itself not-self-serving. That’s for the same reason that it’s wrong to use initiatory force against another…both are treating the thing as it is not.
The question of whether they deserve it or not, is moot. Our actions should be about what we decide, not what we pretend others cause us to do.
Jim Klein, I’m not sure what you’re saying.
I don’t think anger is present here. Weariness, exhaustion, resignation, even determination, often indicate that there’s nowhere else to go – so the only option left is to turn around and face the enemy.
If you’re saying something different (re anger), please clarify.
“…the only option left is to turn around and face the enemy.”
Makes sense to me, Pat. I was commenting on the original post about where this madness takes a lot of us. It’s pretty tough not to get angry, after all. I was just saying there’s no benefit to it. My specialty is restating the obvious, often at length.
I’m onto much simpler things tonight, like wondering why both the Mark Levin and Michael Savage shows were repeats of last night, at least on WJR out of Detroit. Weird for a Wednesday. Oh well, just another day in the Twilight Zone.
I’ve seen a lot of the above among the old hands.
OTOH I’m also seeing a lot of awakening. After the State of the Union I had several calls about “The president’s talking about GUN CONTROL!”
“Uh, yeah?”
“When’s your next CHL class?”
I’ve had CHL new license classes the last three Saturdays. Attendance is way up. I continue to see a higher percentage of women in them. The past two classes have averaged much younger than normal for a retirement area.
People are already asking about our fall Hunter Ed schedule, and I’m doing more new shooter classes.
It isn’t 1994 any more.
“Drega was nagged to the breaking point by the nanny state.”
Is that a common story? Seems like it. It’s so very contrary to the false notion of what I was taught it was meant to be in America. …Ho-hum. ? Buncha B.S. I was taught in public school.
“To me, what’s truly creepy are the people who seem to think all this “security” you’re being provided with is a good idea…”
Zombies are People too. Er, once were. ?
“NBC may go the way of the dodo!” – now that Ann Curry is gone, I have No problem with that. (The mind-swaying pretty sell-out, psft!)… I just wonder what all those People who made NBC their ‘family’ will do without them?
… So tired. But I read and now I know just a bit more. At least I won’t be surprised when the hammer falls. ? … Now if only I can manage to avoid that two ton heavy thing swinging this way I might be ok. Problem is I didn’t use a VPN or a secure email. OOps. …So they’ll come for me second?
… It looks like Zdoom, tune in next crisis period, and find out wHAt happens next! ?
Free Beer! … Tomorrow.
Anyway, did you all know, The Truth About the “Robber Barons”
http://www.mises.org/daily/2317
Fine bit of history that is, unbeknownst to most.
“I had several calls about “The president’s talking about GUN CONTROL!””
A comment/observation like that is always nice to read.
A million tiny light bulbs going off inside a million minds?
Good.
LarryA –
We’re seeing the same thing here in OBX. There were 25 people in my class, taught by LEO, on the same Sat. that Sandy moved in on us. We postponed the shooting portion due to wind/rain. Followed by nor-easters, the next 3 weekends… so we didn’t shoot until a month later. We joined up with his class that weekend: there were 30 in that class. He’s been holding classes every weekend and they are always full. The gun club also has classes; they are full. And yes, LOTS of women and first-time shooters. Including people, who voted for Obama, x2.
The LGSs got caught up on Ammo, maybe a month ago — not like normal, but at least the cabinets weren’t empty. They’re empty again this month. Rifles and pistols are still selling like hotcakes. Shoot, on Monday when we went to our closest big dealer… he’d even sold the Barrett .50 I was looking at!! LOL.
I’m wondering if the retail end of the generator market is still “hot” (after Sandy) too? I think there are a lot more people “getting with the program” than would be obvious via the MSM if you consider the WSJ featured how Costco has gotten into the “prepping” market with LTS foods, equipment, etc. They wouldn’t do that unless there was money in it and there wouldn’t be money in it, unless a large segment of what’s left of the middle class was buying it.
The on/off switch to the brain is an “after market” part. It is generally installed in “public school” and lubricated by mainstream news and politics over its lifetime.
The “off” position is the default after such installation. Unfortunately, like the fuel filter in most cars, the switch itself is buried under a ton of other parts and requires serious effort to reach. Turning it ON produces untold benefits, even though your gas mileage will probably be shot to heck and the ride will be bumpy.
So, if your switch is already on… why in the world would you want to turn it off?
Oh me…
I guess I should add that the important thing here, seems to me, is what fuel we use and the roads we drive, rather than turning the switch off. Might be too hard to turn it back on again later!
Read The Ballad of Carl Drega essay by Vin Suprynowicz here:
http://www.ncc-1776.org/tle1998/libe39-19980626-09.html
If you Google “Carl Drega” you can find articles from the Boston Globe, Time, NYT as well as some right-wing blog posts. Ignore all that stuff and read the definitive item by Vin Suprynowicz for yourself first.
In my experience the brain “off” switch is located in the jaw, and is often activated when opening the mouth.
Pre-press veteran
We watched Sandy from afar. (Texas)
I live in a town of about 25,000. The local shooting range last Saturday had a CHL class with 93 students. He called around asking for help, and most of the other local instructors (including me) already had their own classes that day.
Also, couple of weeks ago I had a young black woman in a CHL class who grew up in Chicago, and whose retired Chicago cop father told to get away from there.
We live about an hour away from everything out in the “big wide world” – including our local range. Otherwise, I’d be shooting more often and working to certify as an instructor… and starting a women’s shooting group.
I used to fly into O’Hare and drive to MI from there, for business. After the last rediculous go-round with TSA, when they thought the metal trim on my wallet MUST be a knife, until I helped them figure it out… I will, henceforth be driving the 1000 miles instead. And I don’t have to drive in s-IL-ly at all, so when my CCW arrives I won’t feel so iffy about being on the road for that many miles, alone.
When I look around all I see is the concerted effort to end the Constitutional Experiment. America, as we once might have known it, is already gone. Mordor wasn’t created in a day. Woody Wilson, FDR, Johnson, Carter, Clinton, and now Our Beloved Leader have all carried forth the agenda, helped along by idiots like Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Di Fi and the other demo-nazis. The useful idiots have spent their votes to build the utopia they think they’ve been promised. The foolish media still expects to be rewarded for their efforts and good works. Pols of every stripe compost their conscience and shimmy into line to secure their place in the Politburo. The Federal Government is full past bursting with un-elected bureaucrats that actually run our everyday lives.
How can I not be depressed!!! Maybe Claire can write a book: “How to Survive Mordor on Five Dollars A day”???
I’m glad the “constitutional experiment” in drawing to a close. It was a coup in the first place. We have learned quite a bit in the past 200 years, and we now have very good arguments supporting the notion of non-aggression, and the implications thereof. We didn’t have that concept back in 1783. It was lurking in the background, and many people believed in it, but it was not a philosophical underpinning as it could be today. When I discuss the non-aggression ( or “zero” aggression ) principle with most people, they immediately understand it, and few disagree with the concept. The main problem they have is realizing just where aggression is applied the most: government. That takes a while for the mind to wrap around. I know it took me about 20 years to get from “minarchy” to voluntaryist.
“Maybe Claire can write a book: “How to Survive Mordor on Five Dollars A day”???”
🙂 That’s funny, puptent. OTOH, I think that’s what she’s been trying to do at “Living Freedom”. Unfortunately, the inflation of tyranny has surpassed the cost of survival mode.
“Unfortunately, the inflation of tyranny has surpassed the cost of survival mode.”
$25/day?
It remains t be seen if we can survive it at all…
I don’t know, maybe I’m just an optimist. I seem to have the opposite reaction to all these events.
http://strike-the-root.com/how-fortunate-we-are
http://strike-the-root.com/its-not-that-bad-after-all
http://strike-the-root.com/government-force-of-nature
I’d rather be alive now, than any other time.
Thanks Paul! Those 3 links are all excellent reads. You should repost them up at the top of the blog in the current topic.
Well, first of all, everybody has good days and bad days: some days when we want to crawl into a hole, and other days we think we can lick the world. Frustration and depression occur when 1) too many bad things take place at the same time, 2) we have no control over those events, and 3) we have no knowledge of what will happen next. This is the position we’re in now.
We are not violent people here, we don’t want this fight, we just want to be left alone!!
But TPTB are bringing the fight to us, and it feels like a gang of bullies waiting around the corner. No matter how well prepared we are – emotionally, survival-ly, financially, philosophically, and with weapons or not – *we know we will not win this fight.* When TEOTWAWKI arrives, America – and our personal world – will be changed forever. And no
amount of cheerleading, and no amount of prepping, is going to alter that reality.
This is enough to depress anyone even on a GOOD day.
(BTW: While I don’t believe in the ultimate power of Evil over Good, I do know that EVIL MEN can make life hell for all of us – and the hell that’s coming out of Mordor is very real, however we may choose to ignore it. Ignoring it in our own personal lives does not change the fact that it will affect our lives in some manner, and not in the positive.)
Operation “Send Claire CA Some Sunshine” began last night. Amazon said things would arrive from 4-14 days after ordering. Later went direct to the vender’s site and discovered that they are based in NY state!!!!
That should have said “Send Claire Some CA Sunshine”.