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Living Freedom Posts

More Merry Christmas to Ava and me

Today was another very Merry pre-Christmas. Gourmet Gethsemani Abbey goodies from S&K and — another! — big check from RW, who already sent one earlier this month. RW’s earlier check was for me. This one? Well, Ava would give a big thanks if she knew, because this one’s to put toward her medical care and treats. Great timing, too. Furrydoc and I were just talking on Wednesday about another test that would better pinpoint the degree of Ava’s kidney malfunction. Guess what? The check and the cost of the test are about equal. So a big WOOF to you, RW.…

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Solstice

Today light returns. It’s about darned time. But, sez John Wilder in his inimitably irreverent way, it’s not the solstice we’re really celebrating. It’s the cold months to come, because they make us stronger. Christmas? I’m a fan. But the 21st is also notable because it’s the (traditional) feast time of the northern peoples of the world, and you can see multiple cultures built physical devices to track the solstice, places like Newgrange in Ireland, Stonehenge in England and the High Bank Works at Chillicothe in North America. And, my house. … But the solstice doesn’t represent the coldest part…

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Thursday-Friday links

  • You’ve prolly heard about that Der Spiegel reporter who turned out to be the Jayson Blair of Germany. Well, here’s the real All-American story that finally tripped him up when he made it up. You messed with the wrong small town, pal.
  • The NRA expresses disappointment (not really) with their historic role in making the bump-stock ban possible (Satire by Bear.)
  • Anti-gunners are always saying that 90% of Americans want this or that that’s on their agenda. Yet another survey hints perhaps they’d better think again. 10 Comments
  • Five day sale on Basics of Resistance kindle edition

    Starting Thursday, December 20, and ending Christmas Day, the kindle edition of Basics of Resistance will be on sale. It starts at $0.99 and gradually works its way back to its normal $3.99, so the earlier you grab a copy, the better. Kit Perez, who manages the book’s Amazon account, also tried to put the paperback on sale, but Amazon wasn’t having it. Sorry. But Merry Christmas, kindlefolk.

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    Midweek links

  • Dear once-and-future felons: The long-rumored bump-stock ban has become a reality. Turns out Trump is more successful at “gun control” than Obama was. Here’s the skinny and what some folks are doing about it.
  • Now this may be the best anti-theft monkeywrench ever — if you happen to be a NASA engineer with six months to spend on the project. Fabulous video, though. (H/T PT)
  • Here’s some cheery news: 86% of all federal spending is now on autopilot, requiring no authorization from Congress. (Not that those miscreants ever try to cut spending even when annual budgeting requires it of them.) 7 Comments
  • Communities of the deplorable

    I’ve been trying to herd a blogosaurus for the last couple of days, but the darned thing is still roaming wild. So I’m just going to toss out the raw meat for the thing along with a few related thoughts and you guys can take it from there. —– I’m thinking about the importance of community in a world of globalization. Also thinking (related) of the importance of community in a world where “our kind” are not only increasingly sneered at and looked down upon, but excluded from common discourse by Internet Powers That Be. —– Three articles I read…

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    Monday links

  • T.L. Davis gives a pretty good description of a real patriot. A few details are quibbleable (aren’t they always?), but it’s succinctly damnfine.
  • Lesson from Zendo Deb and California’s Camp Fire: If you see danger coming don’t wait for an official order to evacuate. (Didn’t we already learn this lesson on 9/11? Sadly not.)
  • Commander Zero describes a creepy criminal act from which he learned a lesson but his neighbor (the target of the creep) might not. 5 Comments
  • Sitting and knitting and reading and organizing

    Oh, that felt gooooooood. After a quick hop online yesterday morning to approve a few blog comments awaiting moderation, I shut down the computer and spent my Sunday in the pleasant combination of relaxing and being productive. —– All that relaxing took discipline at first. It still shocks me, how seductive the computer is. Never mind the (apparently even more powerful) lure of checking FB likes or seeing how friends are responding to a new Instagram post. Merely knowing that useful information awaits at a click is addictive enough. My task for the last few days has been cleaning up…

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